Save the Children Enhances Education for 27,000 Children in Hai Phong and Dong Thap
	Save the Children's Project Brings Equal Learning Opportunities to All Children

A “fresh breeze” in learning Vietnamese

“Before, I only had three storybooks at home and had almost finished reading two of them. But now, I have an entire library of fascinating stories on the ‘Vui doc cung em’ app!” exclaimed Uyen, an 8-year-old Thai ethnic minority girl from Dien Bien Province, as she shared her learning experience with excitement.

Thanks to the “Vui doc cung em” application, Uyen has access to a wealth of engaging stories that boost her interest in learning and comprehending Vietnamese. (Photo: Save the Children)

Born and raised in one of the most disadvantaged regions of the country, Uyen has faced numerous challenges on her educational journey. Vietnamese is not her mother tongue, learning materials are scarce, and her parents are constantly busy working in the fields. Uyen spends most of her time at home studying on her own.

Things began to change when she was introduced to the “Vui doc cung em” app - an initiative developed by Save the Children. Through a classroom tablet, a vivid world opened up to Uyen: stories with captivating illustrations, friendly voiceovers, and games that help her naturally remember new words.

The app not only provides Uyen with a rich collection of stories but also integrates creatively designed Vietnamese language lessons. Uyen particularly enjoys how the app allows her to practice reading through voice recording and playback features, answer questions categorized according to levels of cognitive thinking: Remembering, Understanding, and Applying, and participate in interactive activities like drawing and coloring. Learning has transformed from a challenge into a daily source of joy for her.

“It’s really fun! The app reads the story to me first, then I read it myself and do the exercises. Once, I took a quiz about the story ‘The cheerful cat’ but got it wrong and my mom helped me find the answer,” Uyen recalled.

With its child-friendly colors, illustrations, and user interface, the app is designed for young users to navigate easily without needing much adult assistance. (Photo: Save the Children)

Uyen’s mother also attended training sessions on cybersecurity and how to support her child's learning, provided by the project. “Uyen always looks forward to using the app after finishing her homework. She’s so absorbed in learning through the app that she no longer watches TV or plays on the phone like before,” she shared. Once struggling with her studies, Uyen is now more confident, thanks to engaging lessons and the support from her family, teachers, and the project.

The implementation of the “Vui doc cung em” application, carried out by Save the Children in collaboration with the Dien Bien Department of Education and Training, has had a positive impact not only on Uyen but also on thousands of other children.

Teacher Lan, from the primary school Uyen attends, also values the support provided by the app. “Our students are very enthusiastic about learning through the app. Many have made remarkable progress, with some completing up to 60% of the lessons. The app also helps us save time in lesson planning and brings more engaging classes,” shared the teacher.

When technology opens the door to knowledge

Uyen’s learning journey is a powerful example of how technology, when applied appropriately in education, can open up new horizons of knowledge for children in remote and disadvantaged areas. Like Uyen, thousands of children in provinces such as Dien Bien, Quang Binh, and Lao Cai have been using the app to practice reading comprehension and participate in interactive games, making reading a more engaging and enjoyable experience.

A pilot lesson using the “Vui doc cung em” app for first- and second-grade students was conducted at 12 primary schools in Bo Trach and Quang Trach districts, Quang Binh Province, in October 2023. (Photo: Save the Children)

According to Vuong Dinh Giap, Program Director at Save the Children, the pilot implementation of the “Vui doc cung em” application has yielded significant results thanks to ongoing improvements and refinements. These adjustments were informed by classroom trials conducted in Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Hai Phong, Quang Binh, and Dong Thap since mid-2023, as well as feedback from students, parents, and teachers.

A representative of Save the Children stated that the “Fun Reading with Me” app has integrated numerous advanced features to meet the diverse needs of children. First, accessibility options have been added to support children with special needs, such as image zooming, volume adjustment, and the ability to change reading speed. Second, the educational content has been expanded to include a wide range of stories and lessons that reflect the cultural identities of different regions and of Vietnam as a whole. The reading and writing lessons are flexibly designed to suit various skill levels and align closely with the competencies and qualities required by the National Primary Education Curriculum.

Third, interactive educational games have been incorporated into the app, offering children opportunities to learn through play, thereby maintaining their focus and improving memory retention.

In addition, the app features an automatic evaluation function, allowing children to receive immediate feedback after each exercise, which encourages continued learning. Notably, students can record their voice and listen to the playback to assess their pronunciation and reading fluency - an effective method to improve reading comprehension skills. This function also serves to connect students with teachers and parents, ensuring timely support from caregivers.

Nguyen Thi Thu, an official at the Department of Education and Training of Dien Bien District, Dien Bien Province, shared: “The ‘Vui doc cung em’ app aligns well with our goal to improve Vietnamese language instruction in Dien Bien. It not only provides teachers with engaging and easy-to-use teaching materials but also fosters students’ interest in learning, especially among ethnic minority children. This is a practical solution that enhances the effectiveness of ongoing education programs in our locality.”

The application goes beyond supporting students by also empowering teachers and parents, helping create a holistic educational ecosystem. With its learning progress report feature, the app includes detailed data analysis tools that allow teachers and parents to track children’s development over time. Additionally, the app offers supplementary materials and instructional videos to help adults quickly familiarize themselves with and effectively utilize the app’s features as they support children on their learning journey.

A series of IT and online safety training sessions for over 300 teachers and school administrators, along with 4,800 students and parents from 12 primary schools in Bo Trach and Quang Trach districts, Quang Binh Province, was conducted between November and December 2021 as part of the project “Safe and Quality Learning Environment.” (Photo: Save the Children)

Looking ahead, Save the Children is committed to leveraging technology to promote educational equity and ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential. In the context of digital transformation becoming a national priority, the organization will continue innovating and implementing creative initiatives to support the government’s efforts to improve the quality of education in Vietnam.

“One of Save the Children’s strategic directions is to scale up the ‘Vui doc cung em’ app to remote and underserved areas, as well as regions with large migrant child populations, and to adapt content to suit specific target groups, including incorporating mother tongues for other ethnic minority children,” emphasized Vuong Dinh Giap.

Save the Children will also explore and integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize learning paths and develop blended learning platforms for children. Furthermore, the organization is focused on enhancing the capacity of teachers and parents through professional development workshops and is strengthening partnerships with NGOs, tech corporations, and the government to optimize resources. To ensure sustainability, Save the Children will closely monitor and evaluate the impact of its initiatives, using the data to continuously improve and refine its educational programs.

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